I have been pointed to three sites which are supposed to be excellent places to have your screenplays seen by industry insiders. One concern I have, is that two of these are "pay to play" sites. While they are all legitimate sites, I do have some concerns about some of the specific contracts and memberships. I'm hoping that some of those here have either experience as writers, producers, or attorneys who might have some insight experience to share.
Inktip.com
It has graduated services. Writers pay while industries do not. In fairness, Inktip.com does allow for the free listing of loglines of shorts (up to 45 pages). At the top end, you have $60 for a six month inclusion in their searchable database. They require that writers submit a release to complete the free registration. The release seems standard, though I would welcome comments from legal experts as they seem to make a big deal about being WGA compliant. Is there a big deal there that I'm missing? As a service facilitating connecting writers to producers, it seems quite successful and useful. They are quite clear that they have no other connections to the presented material.
TV Writer's Vault (www.tvwritersvault.com)
A service started by insider Scott Manville, it is another "pay for play" site. Here it is membership driven. You can pay per month, 6-month memberships, or annual. The monthly is $40. It has the nice features for being able to see who is viewing your materials. Similar to Inktip.com, there is no other financial obligations. You also must sign that you agree to the terms of service. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the full legalese of what constitutes the 'terms of service'. Another feature that caught my eye is that the monthly membership is "automatically renewed with industry activity". I would hope a submission would see some activity for the cost of membership. Can one then cancel a membership if s/he chooses? While I was impressed with the thought that seems to have gone into the site, my gut says 'go slow'.
Abbot Management (www.abbotmanagement.com)
This is a free service to submit for writers, and free to search for buyers. However, if they are able to connect you with a buyer as a result of inclusion in their database, they charge a 15% commission. They also provide free coverage, though it may take between 2-3+ months to receive it. They have your script read by three readers. If the three readers score it highly, Abbot Management may also offer to represent you as a writer. To date, they do not have any reported sales reported on their website using this service, but that is not to say they haven't identified new talent to represent. They also have a release which must be signed. If you arrange your own sale, they state they have no claim on the commission.
Please Note:
First, I see nothing wrong with "pay for play" within reason. Unfortunately, there are too many scams running to catch up new writers (and producers). I think each of these services can be valuable new ways of marketing and prospecting scripts. I believe that there needs to be some checks as well. I think that industry insiders should also help pay for access. For one thing, even a low membership fee assures some level of 'buy-in' to the concept and discourages less-than-scrupulous individuals from taking advantage of plentiful free ideas.
I do not work for these sites, nor am I endorsing these sites specifically. They were suggested to me and I have taken time to visit them. I am seeking feedback and experiences. The information presented above is based on my observations from the websites. The information on those sites is subject to change so you will need to check out the website for current information on prices and terms.
Inktip.com
It has graduated services. Writers pay while industries do not. In fairness, Inktip.com does allow for the free listing of loglines of shorts (up to 45 pages). At the top end, you have $60 for a six month inclusion in their searchable database. They require that writers submit a release to complete the free registration. The release seems standard, though I would welcome comments from legal experts as they seem to make a big deal about being WGA compliant. Is there a big deal there that I'm missing? As a service facilitating connecting writers to producers, it seems quite successful and useful. They are quite clear that they have no other connections to the presented material.
TV Writer's Vault (www.tvwritersvault.com)
A service started by insider Scott Manville, it is another "pay for play" site. Here it is membership driven. You can pay per month, 6-month memberships, or annual. The monthly is $40. It has the nice features for being able to see who is viewing your materials. Similar to Inktip.com, there is no other financial obligations. You also must sign that you agree to the terms of service. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the full legalese of what constitutes the 'terms of service'. Another feature that caught my eye is that the monthly membership is "automatically renewed with industry activity". I would hope a submission would see some activity for the cost of membership. Can one then cancel a membership if s/he chooses? While I was impressed with the thought that seems to have gone into the site, my gut says 'go slow'.
Abbot Management (www.abbotmanagement.com)
This is a free service to submit for writers, and free to search for buyers. However, if they are able to connect you with a buyer as a result of inclusion in their database, they charge a 15% commission. They also provide free coverage, though it may take between 2-3+ months to receive it. They have your script read by three readers. If the three readers score it highly, Abbot Management may also offer to represent you as a writer. To date, they do not have any reported sales reported on their website using this service, but that is not to say they haven't identified new talent to represent. They also have a release which must be signed. If you arrange your own sale, they state they have no claim on the commission.
Please Note:
First, I see nothing wrong with "pay for play" within reason. Unfortunately, there are too many scams running to catch up new writers (and producers). I think each of these services can be valuable new ways of marketing and prospecting scripts. I believe that there needs to be some checks as well. I think that industry insiders should also help pay for access. For one thing, even a low membership fee assures some level of 'buy-in' to the concept and discourages less-than-scrupulous individuals from taking advantage of plentiful free ideas.
I do not work for these sites, nor am I endorsing these sites specifically. They were suggested to me and I have taken time to visit them. I am seeking feedback and experiences. The information presented above is based on my observations from the websites. The information on those sites is subject to change so you will need to check out the website for current information on prices and terms.